Close Your Eyes and Open Your Mind
by PennamePersona
Summary: After Artemis gets his memories back, what secrets will he be forced to reveal, and how do they involve Holly? All credit goes to Eoin Colfer, not me, otherwise these two would've hooked up long ago! AxH or Hartemis ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
1. Chapter 1

Artemis Fowl stared up at his ceiling, thinking, but not quite sure about what. He should have memories, real, true memories. Instead, he had empty thoughts in his once-genius mind. He did not doubt things like he used to, no, it was far easier to believe when you had no idea who you were. Once upon a time, he would have been very suspicious and confused after waking up in a nineteen year old body with no memories and being surrounded by mythical creatures. Of course, his paranoia had died when he did.

Perhaps that was the most unbelievable thing. He was dead . . . and alive. Another body, but the same soul. The same soul, so the same moral choices. The same moral choices, so the same reasons for the moral choices. The same reasons, so the same memories. The same memories . . . which had yet to be unlocked. Did it really help to have someone else tell you all of your adventures, all the infamous stories? Or did you have to recall them yourself? He had regained his memory after a mind wipe, why was this so different? This body, this _new _body did not have the same physical reactions as the old one, _his_ old one. But was his mind truly so different? How large was the differentiation between mind, body, and soul?

He had the same soul. That was the important part, the part that made him who he was. So what else really mattered, if he was the same person? Surely nothing. And yet, still he pondered.

"Interesting ceiling, isn't it?" A very familiar voice asked him, coming from the side of his bed, where it had been ever since he had been brought to his room. Never once had it—she—left him.

"Mmm . . . not particularly. Elegant, I suppose, but the pattern of the moldings isn't very complex, and besides, off-white isn't the most intriguing of colors. It isn't what interests me, in any case." He replied easily, the first words he had spoken since she finished telling him their stories.

"Artemis . . . please tell me what you're thinking." She pleaded. He turned, looking deep into her eyes. One hazel, familiar and new at the same time, the other ice blue. Both stared straight through him, into his very soul, perhaps the only real part of him, the only part she truly knew.

"Artemis, please." She said again, after too long a pause. He shook his head slightly, trying to drag himself out of these thoughts and failing miserably.

"Holly . . ." He hesitated, fearful of not only the question, but her response. Her eyes, so beautiful, drilled into him, begging him to continue.

"What is the soul anyway?" He spoke the thought aloud, this question being much simpler than the other. Holly raised an eyebrow, perhaps sensing that he was drifting off topic, but humored him all the same.

"I don't really know Artemis." She said, a thoughtful look coming upon her lovely face. "I would like to think that the soul is the embodiment of the person, and thus holding all their thoughts, memories, feelings . . ." Her voice drifted off. His eyes drifted back to the ceiling before he asked the question really on his mind.

"Do you suppose that, perhaps, love would be stored in the soul?" He asked, unable to meet her sure-to-be-curious gaze.

"Artemis!" Shock radiated from her tone. "Why . . . why would you even . . . why are you asking this?" He kept his eyes trained on the ceiling.

"I am simply trying to place my emotions in the correct categories. If love is truly a part of the soul, then I believe I must be adjusting rather well to this new body." He said, trying and (mostly) succeeding to keep his voice steadying, betraying no emotion.

"Artemis, I . . . I really don't know. You should as No. 1 or Qwan about this stuff, they know more about the "magic is the thread of the universe" thing, I . . . I'm just a Recon jock." She sounded flustered and . . . was that a hint of suspicion he detected? Had she perhaps guessed his motives? Surely not, or she would have fled the room. He turned to face her.

"I assure you Major Short; you are much, much more than 'just a Recon jock.' You know me better than I know myself now, you are one of the few I can turn to in these times of doubt, and you have always been a beautiful, confident woman, much more than just a Recon jock." He said, gazing into her eyes while he spoke for the first time.

"Why are you asking me this?" She demanded, gazing back at him with equal potency.

"Because . . . If love is indeed a part of the soul, then I have very good reason for all of my memories to come flooding back to me. I simply require you to confirm or deny a theory of mine." He was slightly more formal, closer to his normal speech pattern. Holly arched one eyebrow.

"And what might this theory be?" She asked, skeptical.

"Did I love you?" Artemis asked, not showing the hesitance and fear he felt. Holly's mismatched eyes—as expected—seemed about ready to pop straight out of her head.

"Artemis, I-I . . . Oh!" Abruptly she stood up and threw her hands in the air in exasperation and fury. "What is it about you? You're still recovering from time being a wandering_ soul_ for Frond's sake, how can you still manage to be so infuriating?!" Artemis simply folded his hands and patiently waited for her to finish her statement. As far as he was concerned, she had just answered his question, directly or not. She glared at him, but not quite so viciously as before.

"I don't know if you loved me. I wondered that myself on multiple occasions, but I never wanted to ask." She sat down, looking down at her lap. "We come from two different worlds, Artemis. We're different species, not to mention I'm almost a century older than you, and that doesn't really bother me at all, but you . . . you're always so logical." She looked up at him then, seeing his ice blue eyes soften.

"Holly, during those six months, while I was waiting to be reunited with my body, I wasn't logical at all. There was no time or point in logic. As a soul, you simply _feel_. It was both an amazing and terrifying way to exist, so separate from any reason or physical ability. The only thing that kept me anchored in place was you. I love you now, and I had to know if that was just from my soulful experience, or if it was something I had always felt. I know now that I always have, now that things are clicking into place better and memories . . . my memories will return, I know it." He stopped speaking then, knowing he was on the verge of rambling, if he hadn't already begun. They stared into each other's eyes for a few incredibly long moments, and suddenly, she lunged for him. Their lips met, and it didn't feel like two strangers kissing each other in new bodies. It felt . . . right. Perfect. As though it was meant to be. And of course, such a perfect moment had to end, much to the chagrin of both our heroes.

"I thought you said my elf-kissing days were over." Artemis said, a small and contented smile on his face. Holly punched him half-heartedly on the shoulder.

"Glad you're back Arty. I missed you."


	2. Chapter 2

Butler stood outside the door of his resurrected charge's room, waiting in increasing frustration for Captain Short to finish speaking with Artemis. He, of course, knew that Holly was the most likely of all their motley crew to help Artemis's soul adjust to a new body, but it was still trying for the bodyguard to be away from the young genius. Butler may not have been the guard he once was, but Artemis was his closest companion, and to have been with him from his birth to his death, and then his rebirth again was something that weighed heavily on him. Protecting Artemis had once been his only goal in life, but now . . . things were beyond complicated now.

Butler knew Holly Short very well, and trusted her with both his and Artemis's life, but he had known for quite some time that he was going to have to put even more trust in her. The two of them hadn't exactly hit it off right away, this was true. To call their relationship rocky was like calling Mt. Everest big. True, but rather understated. However, they had been growing closer and closer for a long time, and Butler had been making himself ready to hand off Artemis's protection and well-being to the elf even before the first trip through time. When Artemis had needed him less and less, it had been comfort to know that he would always have Holly looking out for him. Still, it was first instinct to ensure protection of the principle.

Deep in thought as he was, it startled the bodyguard when the door to Artemis's room was opened, especially when it was opened by Artemis himself.

"Artemis!" Butler looked him over once. "How are you feeling? Have you . . . adjusted?" Artemis smiled, warmly and genuinely.

"Yes, I have indeed." Somehow, the impossibly warm and _happy_ smile widened. Butler nearly went into shock until looking down and seeing one Major Holly Short with her hand entwined in Artemis's, also wearing a beautiful and warm grin. Ah, that cleared things up. Butler took a good, long look at the both of them and walked off to leave them, knowing that Artemis was in good hands, and fully recovered.

"Finally." He muttered as he went to tell Mr. and Mrs. Fowl the good news.

~`~`~`~` … ~`~`~`~`

Despite the fact that she had once burned it in a magma chute, Holly was sure that her hand had never felt so hot as when it touched his. They walked together on the grounds, ignoring the memories of the horrible battle that had taken them from each other, instead reveling in this moment. They had loved each other for so long, and now . . . now they could _really_ be themselves. Holly looked down at the hand she held in her own. It was his, but it certainly didn't seem like it. This would've been the hand with the third and fourth fingers reversed. It was odd knowing that though she touched his body, she wasn't touching the body that had gone through four (or five, depending on your perspective) time tunnels, wasn't the body that had her eye, wasn't the body that had been weak and anti-social and more vampiric than human. It was a replica, and a good one, but still only a replica. She could overlook that, of course, because if she looked into his eyes, they were the same. Maybe not the same in color, but the intelligence, the passion, the drive, all of that was there. And all of that was _hers_, too. It would take some time to get used to this . . . but it would be time well spent.

Artemis looked down at her rather suddenly, eyes slightly wild.

"What is it?" She asked, slightly panicked. "Is something wrong?" He had stopped a few times, sudden memories shocking him. A part of his mind was reliving every moment of his life, so it was quite understandable that it would take time to get used to. He had to be near the present by now though . . .

"Holly," He sounded slightly choked. "I remember everything. All of it." Holly furrowed her brow.

"Yes, I know Artemis. Isn't that a good thing?" She sounded, rightly, confused. He shook his head, looking slightly pained.

"I . . ." He shook his head again, and was quiet for a long moment. He seemed to collect himself then, and smiled with a little too much sincerity, his icy eyes guarded.

"Yes, of course. It was just rather unbalancing, all of it sinking in." He began to walk again, seeming to slowly savor every step. Seeming being, of course, the operative word. It was a careful act, one that proved that Artemis was indeed himself again, and already hiding something. But what on earth could it possibly be?

~`~`~`~` … ~`~`~`~`

Under the earth's crust, in a careful and slightly out-of-date version of his old lab, Foaly toyed with his control pad. Resources being completely rebuilt took time, and lots of it, but he—and every fairy with any know-how on tech whatsoever—was working day and night. He had hardly any time for a real, enjoyable project, but what with not having to check on Artemis's clone anymore, time was something he was getting more and more of. Currently, he was trying to sift through old files recovered from just before the all-encompassing power outage. He clicked slightly randomly, having lost any real drive a few hours ago.

His attention was brought back rather suddenly when he saw a file that he didn't remember having touched in some months claiming to have been modified just a few hours before the attack. He sorted through it, feeling first confused, then triumphant when he found the objective changes. His triumph quickly shifted to shock when he read the document in question.

"Oh Mud Boy . . . what have you done?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Wait one moment."

Butler shifted uneasily. Not many people could make him nervous. Less than he could count on one hand, as a matter of fact. Madame Ko, of course, and Juliet. Lord only knew what his little sister got into. Artemis did, whenever one of his schemes went awry, which was really quite often. And then . . . then there was Madame Fowl. Butler had been in the business for a long time, but he had still never found anything so dangerous as an overprotective mother, especially when said mother had access to all that came with being a Fowl.

"Do you mean to tell me that my son has not only recovered his memory, but is up and about, walking the grounds with an elf that he has just professed his feelings to?" Angeline raised one perfectly groomed eyebrow. Butler shifted again.

"Yes, Mrs. Fowl." Butler kept his face pointedly down, risking one small glance upward. He was shocked to see joy cross the face of his employer's generally hesitant mother.

"That's wonderful! Arty . . . Arty is back! This is fantastic! Oh, but how to explain Holly to Artemis's father?" She mused for a moment, looking at Butler. "What do you think?" Butler was, quite frankly, floored.

"I . . ." For the first time in memory, the bodyguard was speechless. "You really don't mind?" Angeline stared at him, disbelief on her face, and tears in her eyes.

"Don't mind? Don't be ridiculous Butler! My son, who I thought dead, is alive again. Not only that, but he loves someone. What more could I ask for?" Butler was thrown slightly, but understood. He smiled slightly.

"I think Artemis will be glad to hear that."

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

Holly sucked in a deep breath. Since they had begun walking, Artemis had become more and more distant. She should have known that things couldn't stay peaceful for long, but was it really too much to ask for twenty uninterrupted minutes alone?

"Artemis, I know something is going on in that genius mind of yours. You might have just come back to life after spending six months as a spirit, but your subtly hasn't improved one bit." She said, trying to meet his ice blue eyes, heart tugging slightly at the loss of the hazel one.

"Holly . . ." Artemis looked over her head, unable to meet her eyes. He paused for a moment, and looked down at his jacket, pulling out a rather ostentatious ring and slipping it onto his middle finger. He adjusted it so the jewel was face down on his palm and spread his pinky and thumb so he could speak on the communicator.

"Foaly?" He sounded confused, and slightly nervous. "What . . . no, I did not. I said nothing of the sort. Centaur, I have just recovered my memory. You really think my first thought was to call _you_? Yes, Captain Short is here. No, I will not. Foaly! Stop braying at me for a moment and _think_! I can't do anything about it right now! Well if you would just listen . . ." He dropped his hand rather abruptly and twisted the ring back to face outward.

"What was that about?" Holly asked, suspicious. Artemis closed his eyes for a moment, contemplating whether to tell her.

"My Plan B."

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

The sprite worker crossed the room. It was almost time to begin the second stage of the process. Normally any faerie would be very against this type of procedure, but he thought in terms of ingots, not moral correctness. He had to admit, though, this was odd. Perhaps this would be his last job. Frond knew he had plenty of gold. He could retire . . . he just had to finish this one thing. He pulled out a syringe labeled FOWL. He took the syringe and very carefully inserted it into the tube marked SHORT, savoring the look of the liquids combining. This was his favorite part.

**Like it? Hate it? REVIEW IT! Please? *Makes Bambi Eyes* Pleeeaaassseeee?**


	4. Chapter 4

"Plan B?" Holly asked, shocked, though she wasn't entirely sure why. This was, after all, Artemis Fowl.

"Yes, Plan B," He sighed, still not able to meet her eyes. "I wasn't completely certain that the cloning would work, and I couldn't die. Holly . . ." This time he did meet her eyes, his gaze piercing her.

"I couldn't do without you Holly. I couldn't die. I was . . . afraid." He whispered this, still holding her with those icy eyes.

"Artemis, I . . ." Holly was at a loss. What was there to say, how could one respond to _that_? A humorless smile crept onto the young genius's face.

"It's quite alright Holly. I don't expect you to say anything." His eyes were filled with sadness. Holly almost felt her heart break for a moment, to see him so vulnerable . . . wait. Artemis Fowl, willingly putting himself into a vulnerable position, twice in one day. That simply wasn't possible. The first time could be excused, as he had no real, substantial memories to work with, but this was all wrong.

"What was the plan." Holly demanded, eyes narrowing.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

Foaly tapped nervously on his keyboard. This was _not_ going to end well, not at all. Oh, and when Holly found out! Fowl was doomed. Veeerrry doomed, oh so very very doomed. The centaur gulped, and tried to compose himself. There wasn't any real proof this would work. It was a desperate plan with hardly any chance of working. Of course, so was the cloning . . .

"For Frond's sake Fowl, can't you go _one day_ without making my life a living—hey, wait a minute. What's this?" Foaly paused his monologue rant and stared at his computer screen, entranced. He searched through the previously hidden file and gave a low whistle.

"Guess I was wrong about that then." He said, and exited the file.

_(At this point, dear reader, if you aren't panicking, I suggest starting. Think back for a moment. We're talking about Foaly, the stubborn, paranoid, genius centaur. Who just admitted, easily, __**happily**__ even, that he was wrong. Do you see what's wrong with this picture?)_

Foaly logged out of his computer and dialed Caballine's number.

"Yes, dear, I'll be home soon. No, don't worry, nothing's wrong." He continued on out the door, all stress forgotten.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

Angeline looked out her window, her heart full of joy. It was amazing, miraculous, to see Arty again. For the second time in just a few short years she had presumed her son dead, this time with a body to have to bury. It had been a truly awful thing, and now . . . now Arty was back, yet again. And the icing on the cake, he was in love! This was truly all Angeline had ever wished for her son.

Of course, it was more than a little odd to see him walking hand-in-hand with an elf.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

Butler strolled casually through the grounds, taking in the views. Well, perhaps that sentence should be phrased a little differently. Butler _seemed_ to stroll casually through the grounds, taking in the views, while actually surveying the area for Artemis and Holly. When he found them, he expected to see a slightly romantic scene, perhaps the two of them talking and sitting on a bench, holding hands and blushing every so often.

He really should've known better. Honestly, their track record suggested something a little less romantic and a lot more infuriating. He really should've been expecting a scene that would give him a heart attack. Luckily for him, it was nothing so dramatic.

What he did find was Artemis sitting on a bench, slightly red in the face and Holly standing next to him, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. Butler sighed.

"Good to see you Captain." He said, slightly amused. Holly shot him a look loaded with suspicion.

"Did you know about this 'Plan B'?" She asked in a very accusing tone. Butler blinked, slightly confused. What on earth could . . . oh.

"Artemis, what did you do this time?" Butler asked in a very tired tone. Artemis glared at him.

"I did nothing wrong!" The boy insisted, sounding irritated. Holly rolled her eyes.

"Oh spare us Mud Boy." She spat, sounding furious. "Using one of my . . . involving me in . . ." The fury in her voice faded slightly, replaced by slightly awkward hesitation. This time it was Artemis who rolled his eyes.

"_In Vitro _fertilization Holly. It's not that difficult." He said, sounding slightly mocking. Butler was shocked for one very long moment. In Vitro . . . why did that sound familiar? Oh no . . .

"_Shut up_!" Holly very nearly screeched. "I don't care if you have some fancy name for it, it's still pretty sick!" Butler stood very still, trying to absorb the situation.

"Artemis . . . you didn't . . ." The Eurasian man sounded slightly choked. Artemis threw his hands in the air.

"It was a backup plan! I planned for it to be terminated as soon as the clone began to grow, but the centaur didn't find the file until it was far too late!" He insisted. Holly turned on him again.

"Don't you try and pin this on Foaly! It's not his fault the only other plan you could think of was _fertilizing one of my eggs_!" She really did screech this time, quite understandably. Butler swallowed hard. Yep. It was as bad as he thought it was.

"So . . . when's the baby due?" Butler asked, receiving an exasperated and pleading look from Artemis and a furious glare from Holly.

**Okay, be honest, how many of you really saw that one coming? Arty and Holly having a little baby? Haha, don't worry, it's not exactly how it seems. I'll explain . . . but I needs reviews! Pretty please?**

**And now responding to my few happy little reviews.**

**Eureka and Renton forever: Muah ha ha, fast enough for ya? My soul is safe!**

**Lizzette Escobar (Guest)- Don't worry, I'm definitely finishing. I'd love to see your work though! And I say kudos to you for some excellent insight. I really do keep mentioning the eye thing, don't I? Guess it's just a thing with me. **

**Xodiac 451- Ah, my favorite little reviewer. You read my chapters right away, don't you? THANK YOU SO MUCH! You were my first review ever, and it really helps to have you always supporting me! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

The sprite watched as the fertilization proceeded, faster than he had ever seen before. It was amazing, really. The colors, the twist of the . . . wait, no, _that_ wasn't supposed to be happening. Oh gods, this wasn't good at all. He had been in this business for years, but he had never seen something like this before.

The process was accelerating far too quickly. It was supposed to take months to get up this point. His eyes widened when he saw the combined substances begin to . . . oh Frond they couldn't be actually _growing_ yet, could they? This was supposed to take at _least_ three months for the substances to begin to grow. The fetus was only supposed to become recognizable after a good seven months! And yet . . . already he could see the beginnings of life.

Perhaps he really should've read that file a bit more carefully.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

"I cannot believe you're overreacting so much." Artemis said, exasperated. Holly looked ready to punch him—again—and Butler raised his eyebrow and turned the page of his _Guns and Ammo_, pretending to be completely absorbed. The two of them had probably broken a record for "Most Fights in a Shuttle" on this trip. They were making their way to Haven to check on the . . . eh . . . fetus, and speak to Foaly.

"Overreacting? You must be joking. I'm not overreacting, you're underreacting! As we speak there's a little baby _us_ growing in a lab somewhere!" She insisted, then unclenched her fists. "Although I still don't understand how that's possible."

"I would inform you, but I think it would be best to explain to everyone at the same time. Foaly would be very upset if he was not told how I was managing this feat of science." Artemis said, somehow managing to sound more than just a little smug.

"What about your mother?" Holly asked suddenly, an edge of panic creeping into her voice. Butler flinched slightly, obviously having had this concern himself. Artemis sighed and bit his lip.

"I haven't mentioned it to her. It . . . it's very complicated." He said, shifting slightly. Speaking to his mother had been rather difficult, even without trying to convince her that he needed, desperately, to go down to Haven, even though he had just recovered his memories. Complicated didn't cover half of it.

"Well, won't she want to know about her future grandchild?" Holly asked, intending to strike a nerve in Artemis and inadvertently striking one in herself. She wasn't ready for a child, especially not with Artemis. Although, it was nice that she didn't have to carry it herself.

"It isn't like that Holly. It's just . . . _complicated_." Artemis looked at the ceiling, willing the shuttle to go faster.

"Really. I hadn't managed to figure that one out on my own." Holly deadpanned, voice practically dripping with sarcasm. Butler sighed again, flipping another page.

"Don't make me come over there." He muttered, earning a glare from Artemis and an eye-roll from Holly. Luckily, the shuttle stopped then, and the soon-to-commence argument was cut off. When the trio exited, Artemis was vaguely surprised to see that they had landed in Section 8 Headquarters, as opposed the usual LEP shuttle port.

"Why Section 8?" Butler asked, ducking yet again to avoid being hit by the fairy-sized ceilings. Honestly, he may have done better crawling. He was answered by Foaly, who stood, arms crossed, in the next doorway.

"Mud Men. Holly. Follow me, if you please." The centaur said with no emotion—except, of course, a glare tossed in Artemis's direction. The young man sighed, ducking under the low entryway.

"So, how much has the Mud Moron clued you in?" Foaly asked once everyone was seated. Holly smirked, boosted slightly by the idea that someone else in the room was as irritated as she was.

"Oh, he just told me that he . . . er . . . _used_ one of my _donations_." She said, tripping over the words. Foaly fixed her with a look, one she was quite familiar with. One that said 'you-can-gut-a-simulated-bull-troll-and-shoot-a-go blin-up-the-nose-with-his-own-softnose-but-you-can 't-say-fertilized-my-ovum? Artemis had a similar, yet slightly loftier look of his face. Butler was the only one not judging Holly, as he was quite confused.

"Erm . . . I'm sorry, did I mishear something? Donation?" He asked, feeling slightly dumbstruck. Foaly rolled his eyes.

"Right, I forgot. Silly, ignorant Mud Man." The centaur smirked, letting some of his irritation out. Big mistake, as it turns out. Butler's eyes narrowed.

"Get on with the point, pony boy." The bodyguard said, voice dark and dangerous. Foaly paled slightly.

"Erm . . . right. Well, fairies can't reproduce more than once every ten years, so we don't have many children, and as such, a small populace. Of course, there are plenty of female fairies, enough that if they were impregnated at every cycle, we could increase the population by thirty percent every year. However, we can't exactly ask that all the nice, single, females out there let themselves get pregnant just so we can get a larger population. So, every time a woman has her cycle and doesn't get pregnant, we have a system that allows them to donate their eggs so they can get fertilized by a male donor, and the resulting child gets adopted pretty quickly. Holly here is coming up on her first century, so she's probably donated seven or eight eggs, am I right?" Foaly looked to Holly for confirmation, and she nodded, slightly embarrassed.

"Ah. So then, Artemis . . ." Butler shot his charge a pointed look. "You . . . stole Holly's . . . _donation_. Why?"

The recently resurrected male suddenly became very uncomfortable.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

Eyes. Those were . . . eyes. A nose. Mouth, with teeth inside. A full set of teeth. This was _not_ supposed to be happening. Why was this happening? He wasn't getting paid enough for this.

No one could get paid enough for this.

The sprite crossed the room quickly, jerkily checking his files until _FOWL/SHORT IN VITRO_ came onto view. It was then that he almost fell.

This is what he viewed:

_FOWL/SHORT IN VITRO FERTILIZATION-_

_Proceed as usual until end of first week. Then follow specialized instruction._

_Week one- Keep close eye on containment unit. When facial structure begins to develop, move to second stage unit. Use absolute discretion._

_Week two- Keep close eye on containment unit. When internal systems begin to develop, move to third stage unit. Use absolute discretion._

_Week three- Keep close eye on containment unit. When limbs begin to develop, move to fourth stage unit. Use absolute discretion._

_Week four- Keep close eye on containment unit. When skeletal structure begins to develop, move to fifth stage unit. Use absolute discretion._

It continued like this, with almost normal seeming instructions, until week twelve.

_Week Twelve- Keep close eye on containment unit. When heart begins to develop, move to final stage unit. __**Leave in closed unit until Week Twenty-four. Then contact**_ _**recipient. USE ABSOLUTE DISCRETION. **_

The sprite read the contact address. It was an apartment in Haven, pretty close to Police Plaza. Odd location for a citizen requesting an illegal In Vitro fertilization.

He searched the address, and any of his fears about an undercover LEPrecon officer catching him were put to rest.

"Ah, it's the mother."


	6. Chapter 6

_Week Twelve: _

Finally, half done with this infernal thing. Six months wasn't too long a time for a project, but this one scared him half to death.

The sprite was not ashamed to say that he was glad to place the . . . _fetus_ . . . away in a closed container. He actually smiled as he pressed the button that set the unit away from his other work. Now, all he had to do was forget about this for another three months and then contact the recipient.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

"I told you. It was my backup plan. I _always_ have a backup plan." Artemis started out his explanation, icy eyes catching everyone in one glance.

"Some plan." Foaly muttered, but he was quickly silenced by glares from Holly and Artemis, not to mention an annoyed look from Butler.

He quieted quickly. Seeing _three_ icy blue eyes glaring at him was quite unnerving.

"It was _some plan_." Artemis continued, still glaring at Foaly, but then returning his attention to everyone. "It was a brilliant plan.

I wasn't sure the cloning would work. Not sure at all. I couldn't just die, not after everything that I had been through. I had to live on, somehow. My first idea was a clone. It was the best idea, obviously, and the most likely to work. But I had to have a backup plan. I couldn't be sure that you would all understand this one. So, I researched. And, in my research, I came upon your system here. Of course I couldn't use the normal system. Besides the long wait, I knew they wouldn't be entirely comfortable with all the necessary precautions. I came across a rather shady sprite who dealt in illegal In Vitro . . ."

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

_Week Eighteen:_

So far so good. A month and a half, and the sprite had almost forgotten about the previous . . . project.

Almost, being the key word.

The heart had begun developing six weeks ago, and he had followed the instructions. No problem.

Of course, no one had mentioned the _beating_ of the heart.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

"Of course you'd go for illegal dealings. Have you ever done _anything_ legally?" Holly scoffed, not meeting Artemis's eyes. A thoughtful look came over Foaly's face.

"I have always wondered what gods the two of you offended to cause this. First female Recon officer in history, the only Mud Man to find us turning out to be a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, and then they fall in love. Ironic, much?" He mused, causing Butler to hold in laughter while Holly and Artemis looked away awkwardly.

"Regardless of any ironic circumstances or offended gods, must you always interrupt when I explain?" Artemis asked, sounding both exasperated and slightly nervous. Foaly picked up on the nervous side, but decided not to voice his comment . . . mainly because he knew he would have to deal with Holly and not just Artemis.

"Continue." Foaly said, trying not to smirk. Artemis narrowed his eyes at the centaur, but did, in fact, continue.

"As I was saying, I came across a sprite who dealt in illegal In Vitro, used by citizens who didn't want to have to wait to get a specific child. I sent a file to him, just like any other customer would, and included my own genetic material. It was not just my . . ." Artemis looked uncomfortable then, and Holly raised an eyebrow.

"Sperm?" She asked dryly, and Artemis nodded, clearing his throat.

"Yes. I had made some modifications that would cause the fetus to mutate into a version of myself, rather than a newborn child. Of course, it would be a less precise version of me than a clone, what with Holly's genetic material being added to it. I could guarantee that it would be male, around 128 cm, and tanner than I am, a combination of Holly and my own skin tones. I had played around with the mutations a bit, making it so this creation would develop some of my own . . . quirks." Artemis paused there, almost unsure if he was supposed to continue.

"Quirks?" Butler asked, raising one eyebrow. Artemis nodded.

"Physical, not mental. Of course, the brain will be completely non-functional. It would have no reason to function, and be little more than a recognizable mass of tissue until my soul entered it. Of course, the clone seemed much more likely to work, but . . . I was a bit more partial to this plan." Artemis looked slightly away, not meeting anyone's gaze, least of all Holly's.

"Define 'physical quirks'," Foaly said, making air quotes around the words. Artemis shifted, looking very uncomfortable.

"My eyes." He said quietly, looking up quite abruptly and staring straight at Holly, who understood what he meant in an instant. She looked a lot closer to forgiving him after that, which caused Foaly to rub his temples.

"You two aren't even committing a crime and I'm getting a headache from this . . ." He complained. Butler rolled his eyes.

"No offense Foaly, but right now you sound like Commander Root." He said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile.

Foaly fixed him with what was obviously supposed to be an intimidating glare, but looked more like a grimace.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

_Week Twenty Four:_

The sprite could no longer concentrate on anything. All he could hear was the pounding on the containment unit. He had been in this business for a century, and he prided himself on showing no emotion when it came to his work. But in this case, he had to make an exception.

There was no stopping the fear running through his veins.

He was going to be very happy when this was all done and over with. He just needed to wait three more days to make the call, and then this _thing_ was off his hands forever. He was retiring, definitely.

Just three more days of relentless thumping . . . and a burning desire to see what was causing it.

He shouldn't.

He couldn't.

He had to.

The sprite crossed the room quickly, not giving himself time to change his mind, and pressed the button to lift the metal surrounding the final containment unit.

A pair of mismatched eyes stared back at him.


	7. Chapter 7

"Artemis, can we talk?" Holly placed a hand on his shoulder. Currently, the recently resurrected genius was showing Foaly how he had managed to hack into his files six months after all technology shut off.

Artemis looked up from his gloating and stared briefly into Holly's beautifully mismatched eyes before glancing away.

"Of course Capta-Holly." He changed the formal title not because of the brief flicker of pain that crossed Holly's face, but because of the look on Butler's face. If he hadn't known better, Artemis might have been afraid that the semi-retired bodyguard was going to hit him.

The LEPrecon Captain and ex-criminal walked out of the room together, a polite space between them.

A very _small_ polite space.

As soon as they were out of Foaly's view, Holly grabbed Artemis's hand and pulled him through Section Eight's HQ until they came to a back room. It was taller than any other room in all of Haven, though Butler would still have to duck. The walls that were once made out of the holo-wallpaper that Foaly had been so fond of, were now showing flickering glances of Haven and Atlantis in mid-rebuild. A few plump couches were placed around the room, all in good positions to see not only the walls, but the hexagonal table in the center of the room. On the table were small pieces of tech, presumably all that Foaly had managed to re-create in full operational order since the Shut Down.

"What is it that you wanted Cap-" Artemis was cut off by the fury on Holly's face.

"I swear, if you call me Captain, I will hit you, resurrected MudBoy or not." She growled, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

Artemis was thrown.

"What-" He was again stopped by Holly.

"Oh no. _I_ get to ask the questions. Like, for example, _why you didn't just tell me that you were doing this to get your eye back_?!" The elf threw her arms around him.

Artemis sank into one of the couches and put his head in his hands.

"I have a headache . . ." He moaned, lifting his head so he could better embrace Holly.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

"What do you think they're doing in there?" Foaly asked, staring at the door to the room that Artemis and Holly were in.

"Well I would hope for your sake that the laughter isn't directed at your technology." Butler said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"If it was just Artemis laughing, I'd believe it." Foaly sighed, then pressed his head to the door.

Butler glared at him, then raised an eyebrow.

"All the gadgets you have access to, yet you choose to listen at the door." He said flatly, crossing his arms. Foaly looked indignant.

"I haven't gotten any bugs back online yet." He said, obviously trying to sound haughty and failing.

"No bugs?" The fighting man inside Butler was visibly affronted. "I hope they slash your budget."

Foaly let out a chuckle.

"Now _you_ sound like Julius."

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

Finally. Finally it was time to get rid of the . . . thing. The noise. The eyes . . . he swore he could _feel_ them boring through the layers of metal and piercing him.

He was done with this business. He had decided it officially last night, when he had tried to fall asleep, and again was unsuccessful, for all he could hear was the pounding. It was all in his head, he knew. The noise itself was rather small.

But so significant.

Never before had he heard a heartbeat like that. The sprite had listened intently for the slightest suggestion of a beating in the tiny chest of fetus after fetus. But they were so small, so easy to ignore. For ears trained to hear the slightest hint of life, his workplace, his lab, his _home_, had become a living hell.

Life was all around him. _Constantly_. All of these tiny heartbeats, still developing, and that one fully developed adult one. Beating, pushing for another moment of life. How could he ignore that?

The sprite, who for all his life had taken to the shadows and offered less than legal deals to the desperate, stood up and crossed to his monitor.

The faerie, who for all his existence had refused to feel a thing connected to his work (least of all guilt, or dare he think it, _compassion_), pulled up the contact information.

The living creature, who had for all his heartbeats been apathetic and logical, hesitated to call the contact and deliver the fetus.

No.

Not the fetus.

The _life_.

~`~`~`~ … ~`~`~`~

"Is that really the whole reason behind your 'Plan B'?" Holly asked, her head resting in Artemis's lap while he played with strands of her hair.

"The eyes? No. I couldn't just let myself be dead, could I? The main reasoning behind the In Vitro was the same as the cloning. Stay alive, have a body. But, admittedly, the reason that this particular procedure appealed to me was because I quite like having a part of you look back at me from the mirror." The teenage genius said this all comfortable, as though commenting on the weather. Holly smiled.

"You had one of my eyes before, remember?" She said, looking up at him. He gave her a half-smile.

"Ah yes, at Spiro's needle. He didn't notice right away, but I still felt rather conspicuous. And yet, when I caught a look at my reflection—which wasn't hard in that place mind you, what with all the chrome and 'futuristic decorating'—I couldn't help admiring the effect." He traced from the bridge of her nose to around each eye. "The cold, ice-blue of my eye and the warm, beautiful hazel of yours. I will miss that very much." He leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I don't think your eyes are very cold." Holly mused, staring at them. "Cold kills things. You're eyes are full of . . ." She grew distracted, and began tracing the contours of his face. "I never thought I'd be able to touch you again." Artemis held her hand, loosely, to his face.

"I don't seem to recall much touching in the past, but I'm very glad to be able to give you this. And to receive such a wonderful gift, for that matter." His eyes didn't look very cold in that moment. They looked deep, fathomless, pools of blue transmitting a message that words could never do justice.

"That was my greatest regret . . . hating you, taking back that first kiss . . . every little thing we never did." Holly's hand pressed closer to his face as she pulled herself closer to him. "I cried every second I thought of you . . . when Foaly told me . . ." Her eyes began to look misty, and she pulled away, curling in on herself, facing away from him on the couch. Artemis wrapped his arms loosely around her, giving her enough room to pull away again.

"I love you Holly." He whispered into her ear for the first time since he regained his memories. "And in the six months I spent as a lost soul, the only thought that kept me grounded here was that of you. I envy your ability to have wept for your loss, and I cannot convey how truly sorry I am to have left you. Never hide what you're feeling from me." He turned her gently then, and smiled sadly. Holly threw her arms around his neck and hid her face again, this time in his neck.

"I am so sorry," He murmured. "So very sorry."

"I love you too Artemis. You came back. No apologies necessary. If anything," She pulled back but kept her arms around his neck. "I owe you. If there's anything at all I can do to repay the debt . . ." She smiled and planted a chaste kiss on his lips.

Holly pulled back rather suddenly.

"Why is it that every time we talk, we're interrupted by your communicator?" She asked playfully, smiling and pointing at his suit jacket.

"Actually Holly, this time it's yours." Artemis smirked, putting his hands behind his head and looking typically superior.

She groaned and rolled her eyes, taking out her communicator and picking up the call, not bothering to check who it was.

"Captain Holly Short." She said, then froze.

"_It's ready._"


End file.
